Description
Object description
British civilian in Portsmouth, GB, 1940-1941; NCO served as navigator with 622 Sqdn, No 3 Group and 7 Sqdn, No 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 1942-1944; officer served with 206 Sqdn, RAF in Germany during Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949; served with 209 Sqdn, RAF in Singapore, Federation of Malaya and British Borneo during Indonesian Confrontation, 1961-1963
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as civilian in Portsmouth, GB, 1939-1941: reaction to declaration of war, 3/9/1939; German Air Force attacks on Portsmouth, 1940-1941; effect of air raids on civilian morale in Portsmouth; description of damage to city; dealing with an unexploded bomb; attitude towards the Germans; opinion of emergency services in Portsmouth; attitude towards joining the armed forces; difficulties in joining the Royal Navy. Aspects of enlistment and training as pilot and navigator with Royal Air Force in GB and South Africa, 1941-1942: enlistment in Royal Air Force, 10/1941; training at No 43 Air School, Port Alfred near Port Elizabeth, South Africa; attitude of South African's towards the war; encountering possible German spies.
REEL 2 Continues: hostility of Africaaners towards British; training with Gee Navigation System. Recollections of operations as navigator with 622, Sqdn, No 3 Group and 7 Sqdn, No 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 1942-1944: description of recruitment to Pathfinder Force, 1944; comparison of Short Stirling and Avro Lancaster; incident of landing with mines still on board aircraft, 11/1943; occasion when he flew damaged Avro Lancaster back from Germany, early 1944; description of first major navigational error; experiencing the jet stream.
REEL 3 Continues: work of German and Royal Air Force night fighters; attitude towards work of Pathfinder Force; techniques of wartime bomber pilots; opinion that air gunners had worst job in bomber crew; opinion that life of bomber crew preferable to that of infantryman; raid on Essen, Germany; training in pathfinding techniques, 4/1944; attitude towards being a pathfinder; recollections of being shot down on pathfinder raid on Lens, France, 6/1944.
REEL 4 Continues: bailing out of aircraft; attempts to evade capture; assistance from French civilians; capture by Germans. Recollections of period as pilot with 206 Sqdn, RAF during Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949: background to involvement in airlift; joining squadron at RAF Wunstorf.
REEL 5 Continues: description of Avro York; organisation of airlift; importance of timing of flights; description of black market; description of loads; refusal to carry hay for general's horse; description of harassment by Soviet Air Force aircraft; confidence in success of airlift; near collision with lost American aircraft; awkward landing in Avro York; crew escaping from exploding aircraft.
REEL 6 Continues: aircraft accidents during airlift. Recollections of operations as pilot with 209 Sqdn, RAF in Singapore, Federation of Malaya and British Borneo during Indonesian Confrontation, 1961-1963: posting to RAF Seletar, Singapore, Malaya, 3/1961: description various duties in Singapore; recollections of Brunei Revolt, 12/1962-1/1963; description of duties in British Borneo; difficulties of operating in jungle and mountain terrain; description of activities of Indonesian gunboats; operations of pirates off British Borneo.
REEL 7 Continues: preparation for actions against pirate raid on North Borneo, 31/12/1962; air supply drops to British patrols on Indonesian border, 1963; aiding search for leader of Brunei Revolt, 1/1963; reconnaissance oilfields held by insurgents in Brunei, British Borneo; description of difficulties of landing on airstrips in British Borneo.